The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-10-29

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A San Fran6I66o letter. 70 1tc Nep
York Herald eoys; While tho people
are wondering Whit 10 make Of tho
nav Arabian N|Rhks EntertaInment BY
Count Won Mitk1svIcx ! lI<tlo expcdi-
ton Il departing from tlIs port which
may efFsc, moro for tho AmorlcanIxa-
ton OF China than tile day dreanis d
all the counts that have ever boon
counted. Among the passengers who
sailed on the 2lst ulk in the City Of
reking for Yokohama wero Mr.. A. M.
Ellsworth. mining man Of experience;
Arthur +. Roberts. assayer; Frank J.
Mel machinIst; Mark }. Lidstonc,
millman; Mel Owen. mining foreman.
and Charles Taylor. prospector. All
these are In the service Of the. govern.
ment Of China engaged under special
contract TO reopen and work the gold
and silver mines in the province OF
Shan Tnng
To understand the new departure
IL ~ necessary 10 20 back hong way.
Gold and silver mining was mt one
time "a nourIslling industry in China
There y reason 10 believe that the Chi
Dese used gold coins at period an
terror to the date Of those Greek and
Parthian specimens which form the de-
light Of numismatists. They are said
10 have been cubes without inscr plions.
However this may be. the art. OF min
ing died ont This was due 10 several
causes In mining. as in other me-
chanieal pursuits. the Chinese reached
certain distance and no further.
They learned how 10 mine ore and
to separate mineral from rock. but
they never discovered how to pump
water out or fresh air into underground
workings. Hence. in all their mines.
there came time when foul gases and
water drove out the miners
Still more fatal TO the mining industry
was the superstition of the Fcng Shin.
The Feng Shin were underground
demons who were quiet and we'll be-
hayed enough so long as they were I'M
molcsted Ia their subterranean abode.
but became troublesome and malignant
II their rest were disturbed. II was
discovered that epidemics and famines
followed the workings OF certain mines.
and u was demonstrated without diff
Guilty that the visitation were due 10 the
justly irritated Feng Shin.
The controversy lasted some years.
as such things do In China But 10
ended in tho issue of an imperial re-
script absolutely prohibiting the pro-
secution of drift mining under penalty
Of death. This cdict Is supposed 10
have issued about century before the
discovery OF America by Columbus. IL
has never been strictly enforced. Min
ing has always been prosecuted 10
some extent in Shan 81 Yunnan and
Honan. On the Yang.tse. Kiang and
its. continents. in the streams OF SEE
Chuen. and throughout Mantchooria
gravel mining has always been followed
as a business by portion OF the people.
illusions 20 the mineral output Of the
empire are scattered through the works
OF PumpeIly. Davis. De Carne. and
others. More recent writer's. such as
Williams and Won R.chthofcn. mention
the fact that the precious metals are
produced. without entering into details.
Still the disappearance of gold and
the absence OF gold currency show
that abe cdict. though not strictly car
ried out. bad the desired effect Of put
ing stop TO mining rs regular in
dustry. II u only within few years
that she Chinese government resolved
70 reverse is policy in this respect,
The frightfnl straits in which the EN-
pre found itself during the French wal
satisfied SIS leading men that Chine
could net hold its own in the family ol
nations unless II provided itself with 1
gold currency. 1, was resolved TO re
open the MINES
Gold. like coal. Il found In every on,
Of tho eighteen provinces Of China
Bui the largest and most accessible
source Of supply i TO be found in thu